Tool or implement case



July 17, 1923.

. c. w. REGLEIN TOOL 0R IMPLEMENT CASE Filed July 5. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 314mm 10 Carl Mfie giein July 17, 1923.

C. W. REGLEIN TO'OL OR IMPLEMENT CASE Filed July 3. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 gjw uz'ntoz Carl I44 363261212;

A further object is close Patented July 17, 1923.

' UNITED cm w. nnemnr, ornousron, 'rnxAs.

TOOL OR IHPLEMENT CASE.

Application fled July 3, 1922. Serial No. 572,437.

W. Fromm, a

larly to cases designed for the use of carpenters in carrying tools, though the invention is not limited to this. a

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a case of this character comprising a body portion, two hinged portions adapte to be closed together to close the case or opened out laterally, and a till or open top tray which normally is disposed in a position at the top of the body but which, when the hinged sections are swung outward, will be automatically swung out of position above the top of the body and into one of the hinged sections so as to permit complete access to be had to the interior of the body.

to provide a construction of this kind in which the parts actuating the tray are entirely concealed when the case is closed.

Another object is to provide a construction of this character which is strong, compact, may be cheaply made, and which is particularly adapted to metallic tool boxes.

Other objects will appear in the course of the following description.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a perspective view of an implement case constructed in accordance with mg invention i'gure 2 is an end elevation partly in case fully opened;

section showing the elevation showing the Figure 3 is an end case partly opened;

Figure 4 is a top planview of the construction as illustrated in-Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of one of the members 20; I

Fi 're 6 is a vertical sectional view on the line 6-6 of Figure '5;

Figure 7 is a' vertical sectional view throu h the case with the cover members showing difierent forms of guides,

walls 18 of the body plate 21 on the means for supporting and operating the tray being omitted;

Figure 8 is a like view to Figure 7, but showing another manner of constructing the guides for the cover sections.

Referrin to Figures 1 to 6, 10 designates the body 0 the box, which may be made of metal, wood or other suitable material, though preferably of metal, and which is rectangular in form and open at its top. Hinged to the body are two lid sections 11 and 12, these lid sections 11 and 12 being hinged at 13 and being angular. in cross section and having the end walls 14. Attached to the inside of these end walls 14 are brackets 15. There'are preferably four of d these brackets, two to each section 11 or 12, and the brackets are formed to provide right angularly arranged portions 16 adapted to engage the end walls 14 at the corners thereof and with a curved arm 17 terminating at its end in an outwardly projecting stud 19. These brackets are attached by rivets, screws or the like to the sections 11 and 12.

Mounted upon the inner faces of the end 10 is a transversely extending plate 20 preferably having a width equal to the width of the end walls, this plate 20 being so formed as to provide a the inner face of the base and spaced therefrom, which plate 21 has aheight greater than the base and is provided with two curved slots 22 concentric to the pivotal axis of the sections 11 and 12, in which curved slots the pins 19 on the arms 17 operate. The plate 21 is supported away from the face of the plate 20 by means of spacing sleeves and bolts or rivets, designated generally 23. It will be seen that when the lid sections 11 and 12 are turned into closed position that the studs 19 on the ends of the arms 17 will ride out of the slots but that when the lid sections are turned outward, the pins 19 will ride into said slots and when these lid sections 11 and 12 are disposed in a horizontal position, the pins 19 will be at the inner extremities of the slots and will, therefore, support these li'd sections. in a horizontal position.

Disposed within the upper portion of the case is the tra 24, which is rectangular in plan view, an has two sides and two ends, the ends being numbered 25. This tray s adapted'to fit inside of the body in the upper portion thereof and this tray, when the lids are closed, is disposed in a middle posi-- tion between the two lids and in the upper portion of the case, but when the lids are opened the tray is automatically swung over into a position on top of one of the lid sections. To this end, each end wall of the,

pivoted to the stud 27 is a link 31, these two links overlapping each other and being pivoted together, as at 32. When the sections 11 and 12 are closed, the tray Wlll be supported by the rods or links 28, as illus-' trated in Figure 3, but when the lid s ections 11 and 12 are opened, the links 30 and p 31 will shift nearly into alignment with each other, as illustrated in Figure 2.. At the same time, the rods 28 and the corresponding arms 15 raise the tray, which is then on the balance, and as' the lid section continues to mOve to a horizontal position, the arms 17 and the rods 28 push the tray over, causing the two short straps or links 30 and 31 to again break and shift to an angular position and to thus permit the tray to be lowered onto the lid section 12. When the lid section 12 is raised a reverse action occurs which causes the tray to be shifted into position over the body of the box and then lowered as the stud 29 passes out from the mouth of the slot 22. When the lid sections 12 and 11 are closed, nothing is seen from them:- terior of the box of the mechanism whereby the tray is shifted.

While I have illustrated in Figures 2 to 4 the arms 17 as being provided with studs which engage -in slots in the supporting plate, I do not wish to be limited to this, as the arms 17 might be slotted and the supporting plate 21 be provided with studs engaging in said slots. Thus in Figure 8 I haveshown the members 15 as having arms 17? provided with slots 22 and the plate 20 as bein provided with studs 19 engaging in sai slots, and in Figure 7 I have illustrated still another embodiment wherein the plate 20 has arcuate guides 33 formed upon its face, the irons 15* having arms 17 which are shiftable through said arcuate uides 33, the guides 33 being formedby anges which embrace the arms and these arms 17 being preferably round in cross section. In all of these constructions it will be seen that I have provided lid sections having arms extending therefrom and movable with the lid sections and have provided the body with plates at its ends, the plates and arms being provided with guides with which the arms coact or engage, the arms moving concentric to the hinge axis of the lid sections. Preferably one of the lid sec- While I have particularly designed this case'as a tool carrying case for carpenters, it will be obvious that it may be also used for painters, iron workers, or any other artisan or for any other purpose to which it is adapted.

While I have illustrated a preferred form of my invention, I do not wish to be limited thereto, as it is obvious that many changes might be made in thedetails of construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim 1. A tool case comprising a hollow body openat, its upper end, opposed lid sections hlnged to the upper edge of the body and each angular in cross section and adapted to close the body when the 'lid sections are closed, means limiting the outward movement of the lid sections to a position at right angles to the body to thereby support the lid sections with one wall in a horizontal plane extending from the top edge of the body, a tray, and means supporting the tray nor mally in a middle position with relation to the body but acting to swing the tray into a position resting flat upon said horizontally disposed wall of one lid section when the lid sections are fully opened.

p 2. A tool case comprising-a hollow body open at its upper end, oppositely disposed lid sections hinged to the upper edge ofthe body and each angular in crosssection and having end members, means limiting the opening movement of the lid sections comprising irons attached to the ends of the lid sections and extending inward and downward, members attached to the end walls of the body and with which said irons have sliding engagement, a tray, rods pivoted to the opposite ends of the tray and to the ends of one pair of said arms, and links disposed at opposite ends of the tray! and operatlvely connecting the tray to one end wall of the lid to thereby cause the tray to move upward and lateral y and into position over one of said lid sections when the lid sections are 0 ened.

'3. tool case of the character described comprising a hollow body open at its upper end, opposed lid sections hinged to the upper concentric to the axis of the hinge joint,-

edge of the body and each angular in cross section and having end pieces, irons attached to the end pieces, each iron having leg portions at right angles to each other, and a curved arm extending from the junction of the leg portions, the extremity of the curved arm having sliding operative engagement with the body.

4. A tool case of the character described comprising a hollow body open at its u per end, opposed upper edge of the body in cross section and having end pieces, ll'OIlS attached to the end pieces, each iron having leg portions at right angles to each other, a curved arm extending from the junction of the leg portions, and plates mounted upon the ends of the body having curved slots concentric to the hinge axis of the lid sections, with which slots the arms have sliding engagement, the slots being of such len h as to limit the opening movement of the id sections.

5. A tool case com rising a hollow body open at its upper en oppositely disposed lid sections hinged to the upper edge of the body and each angular in cross section and havlng endmembers, members attached to the end walls of the body and having guides site ends of the tray and to the ends 0 lid sections hinged to tlie and each angulararms fixed to the opposite ends of the lid sectlons and having sliding engagement with sald guides, a tray, rods pivoted to the (ipPO- one pair of said arms, and pairs of linksdisposed at opposite ends of the tra the links of each pair being pivoted to eac other and one of the links being pivoted to the adjacent end wall of the lid section, the other link being pivotally engaged with the tra 6. A tool case including a ho ow open at its upper end, oppositely disposed lid sections hinged to the upper edge of the body, one of said lid sections being angular in cross section and having end members, members attached to the end walls of the body, said lid sections and having sliding engagement with said members, a tray, oppositely disposed rods pivoted each at one endto said tray and at the other end to the end of the corresponding arm, and a pair of links at each end of the tray pivoted to each other one of said links being pivoted to the end wall of the lid section and the other to the end wall oi the tray.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

cARL w. REGLEIN.

, 40 body arms fixed to opposite ends of one of 

